Nutrition - bananas

Answered by: Dr Vibha Baluja | Nutrition Expert, Maryland, USA

Q:Can you please tell me whether bananas contain enough of fibre in it and do they cause constipation as per one belief and if yes why? Can you also tell me about the digestion process of bananas as a lot has been said about it and people has a lot of conceptions & misconceptions about it.

A:Cooked or ripe bananas are very well digested and the nutrients are absorbed well. Ripe bananas have a mild laxative property and hence are very useful as a remedy for constipation. At the same time the fruit is helpful to combat diarrhoea and dysentery. Bananas are of great value both in constipation and diarrhoea as they normalize digestive tract functions and absorb large amounts of water for proper bowel moments. Their usefulness in constipation is due to their richness in pectin, which is water absorbent and gives them a bulk producing ability. They also possess the ability to change the harmful bacteria in the intestines to the beneficial forms (acidophyllus bacilli).